Shield for prongs of electric plugs



March 20, 1951 .1. w. BROWN SHIELD FOR PRONGS OF ELECTRIC PLUGS Original Filed May 1, 1947 59 FIG.

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FIG. 2

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5 m F I INVENTOR. J OHN W. BROWN Patented Mar. 20, 1951' SHIELD FOR PRONGS -OF ELECTRIC PLUGS John W. Brown, South Euclid, Ohio, assignor to Dancyger Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Ohio Original application May 1, 1947, Serial No. 745,272. Divided and this application August 30, 1949, Serial No. 113,130

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to shields and more particularly to shields for the prongs of the plugs for electrical merchandise, such, for example, as lamps, household appliances and other devices.

This application is a division of my pending application Serial No. 745,272, filed May 1, 1947, for Shield for Electric Plug.

In the packaging and wrapping of electrical merchandise, not infrequently the prongs of the electric plug will scratch, mar or otherwise damage the finish of the merchandise which destroys the true value thereof.

An object of this invention is the provision of a shield for the prongs of an electric plug for electrical merchandise such that the shield will prevent the prongs of the plugs from contacting the surface of the merchandise whereby the merchandise is protected against scratching, marring or otherwise being damaged.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a shield for the prongs of an electric plug which may be economically manufactured and which may be readily attached to the electric plug for shielding the prongs thereof.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a shield for the prongs of an electric plug whereby the shield is anchored to the prongs of the plug for holding the shield thereto.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a shield for the prongs of an electric plug which comprises a hood portion for shielding the prongs and which comprises end portions which may be anchored to the prongs to hold the shield thereto.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claim taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a strip of material which may be attached to the electric plug to constitute a shield for the prongs thereof;

Figure 2 is a side View of the shield shown as being mounted on the electric plug;

Figure 3 is a view of Figure 2 looking from right to left of the Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a modified form of the strip shown in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a side View of the strip as shown in Figure 4 and mounted upon the electric plug; and

Figure 6 is a side view of Figure'5 looking from right to left of the Figure 5.

With reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the shield is constructed from a strip of material 40 having two end portions 4! and 42 and an intermediate loop portion 43. The strip 40 may be made from any suitable material, such, for example, as paper, cardboard, plastic, or any other bendable or formable material which may be looped about the prongs for shielding same and which may be suitably attached to the electric plug. The loop portion is further sub-divided into a top 44, a side 45 and a side 46. The two end portions 4| and 42 are provided, respectively, with two spaced slot openings 41 and 48. The strip 48 is adapted to be anchored to the prongs themselves and not to the electric cord as shown in my above identified application. In mounting the strip 48 to the prongs of the electric plug shown in Figures 2 and 3, the strip may be folded into a loop or hood as shown with the two end portions 4! and 42 overlapping each other and with the slotted openings 47 and 48 registering after which the prongs 50 may be inserted through the registered openings. The fit or engagement between the openings 4'! and 48 with the prongs 50 is sufficient to frictionally hold the shield onto the prongs whereby when the electrical merchandise to which the plug is attached is being wrapped or packaged, the prongs are prevented from striking the finished surface of the merchandise to protect same from being damaged.

In Figure 4 there is shown a modified strip 56 in which the two end portions 4! and 42 are provided, respectively, with'a single slot 51 and 58. The strip 56 of Figure 4 is applied to the electric plug, see Figures 5 and 6, substantially in the same manner that was described for the Figures 2 and 3 except that the strip is looped about the prongs at right angles to that shown in Figures 2 and 3. In Figures 5 and 6, the two end surfaces 45 and 42 have their ends abutting each other and with each end portion anchored to but a single prong.

In applying the strip 56 of Figure 4 to the electric plug, the strip is bent into a loop as shown, and then the two prongs are inserted through the two openings 57 and 58 after which the two end portions 4| and 42 are pressed against the fiat surface of the plug from which the prongs extend.

In all the forms of m invention, the strip of material is looped about the prongs to constitute a hood to shield the prongs from strikingor otherwise damaging the surface of the electrical merchandise to which the plug is attached.

Although the invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What-is claimed is:

In combination, an electric plug having an insulated body portion with a flat side, two spaced prongs extending from said fiat side, and a shield for said prongs, said shield comprising a strip of material having first and second endportions and a loop portion intermediate sai'd'endv portions, said first end portion having an 'openingthroug'h which one of said prongs is inserted to anchor said first end portion to said prong-said second end portion having an opening through which the other of said prongs is inserted to anchor said second end portion to said prong, said first and second end portions being disposed to fit against said flat side of said insulated body, and said loop portion of said shield extending over Said prongs 5 and constituting a hood for shielding said prongs.

JOHN W. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,312,513 "Beach Aug. 12, 1919 15 1,313,337 Schinscholl Aug. 19, 1919 1,896,326 North-way-Ley Feb. 7, 1933 

